


Fight for the Dream

by Bara_no_Uta



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Black Mercy, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Post 2X06, the supercat is really just a couple of sentences though fyi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8582005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bara_no_Uta/pseuds/Bara_no_Uta
Summary: She hugged Alex again. “Right – I should let Dad know! I know he’ll be relieved, too.”	“Dad? He’s- he’s here?” Why was she expecting him not to be? Where else would he be? No, she was sure that he wasn’t supposed to be there… and something was funny about the way Kara mentioned him just now, even if she couldn’t put her finger on that, either. Everything felt strange, like she had tripped and landed somewhere she didn’t belong. There was something nagging at her – something in particular she felt she badly needed to remember, and yet it just wouldn’t come to mind. A plant…? That made no sense whatsoever. She was still skeptical of this fever she supposedly had been suffering from, but there was no doubt something was making her memories fuzzy, and she supposed it was whatever was responsible for that which brought something so nonsensical to mind.	Kara had already gone to get him, so it was Eliza who answered. “Of course he’s here. Where else would he be?”	She thought as hard as she could. “Ca… Ca…lifornia?” No, that wasn’t right. Why in the world would he be in California? Why was everything so vaguely unsettling, and she couldn’t even figure out why?





	1. All You Ever Wanted

**Author's Note:**

> This really ran away with me, haha. I've been rewatching Supergirl from the beginning, and I find the idea of Black Mercy so fascinating, honestly. So I started thinking about what Alex's perfect world would be like, and what it would take to pull her from it...
> 
> This fic follows 2x06, which just aired a few days ago. I fully anticipate that future episodes will have this going against canon in some ways other than the obvious, but that seemed like such a perfect place to have it follow.

            Alex stirred from her position lying down. Wait… was that right? She couldn’t remember falling asleep… no… this wasn’t her bed, she realized. The position was wrong; she wasn’t on a bed at all. Alarmed, she opened her eyes and shot up to a sitting position, looking around her.

           Eliza was sitting by her side. She reached out, tucking some hair behind Alex’s ear. “You’re awake,” she said, smiling. “It’s okay. You must’ve been having a nightmare.”

            Alex looked around quickly, shaking her head away from Eliza’s touch. “What am I doing here?” She couldn’t place her last memory, but she knew she would remember having had occasion to visit her mother; she rarely left National City, and certainly not all the way to Midvale.

            “You’re home for the holidays, remember? And to celebrate your promotion? Don’t worry, we haven’t started any celebrations yet.” She frowned a little as she explained, “You’ve been asleep for a while. We were about ready to call a doctor. Of course we weren’t going to have any celebrations without you.”

            No. No, this wasn’t right. This woman looked exactly like Eliza, and she would recognize the appearance of her childhood home anywhere, but this wasn’t right. She stood, hands immediately reaching for—

            She didn’t have her guns. Not a single weapon on her person. This was too strange. She never went anywhere unarmed. “This is wrong. This isn’t real.” She glared at Eliza’s form, pretending to be tough instead of scared as she demanded, “What is going on?”

            A voice came from the doorway then. “Alex!”

            Before she knew it, she was enveloped in a hug, her face right up against long blond hair. She would know this figure anywhere. Maybe Kara would know what was going on. Just before she could ask, though, Kara spoke.

           “I was so worried about you!” She pulled away to look into Alex’s eyes. “I know they said it was just a fever, but you were asleep for so long… I was _scared_. I-I… I don’t know what I would do without you.” She bit her lip for a moment before quickly brightening. “But it’s okay now. You’re here now, right?”

            Kara unquestioningly cited the fever story as well, and… something seemed strange about her behavior. When she tried to put her finger on it, though, she couldn’t figure out how she would have expected her to act. Most importantly, though, she couldn’t just not say anything in response to Kara’s question. She softened. “Of course I am.”

            She hugged Alex again. “Right – I should let Dad know! I know he’ll be relieved, too.”

            “ _Dad?_ He’s- he’s here?” Why was she expecting him not to be? Where else would he be? No, she was sure that he wasn’t supposed to be there… and something was funny about the way Kara mentioned him just now, even if she couldn’t put her finger on that, either. Everything felt strange, like she had tripped and landed somewhere she didn’t belong. There was something nagging at her – something in particular she felt she badly needed to remember, and yet it just wouldn’t come to mind. A plant…? That made no sense whatsoever. She was still skeptical of this fever she supposedly had been suffering from, but there was no doubt something was making her memories fuzzy, and she supposed it was whatever was responsible for that which brought something so nonsensical to mind.

            Kara had already gone to get him, so it was Eliza who answered. “Of course he’s here. Where else would he be?”

            She thought as hard as she could. “Ca… Ca…lifornia?” No, that wasn’t right. Why in the world would he be in California? Why was everything so vaguely unsettling, and she couldn’t even figure out why?

            “Sweetie, none of us have ever gone to California.” Her voice was gentle, and she reached out to put the back of her hand on Alex’s forehead. “It feels like your fever’s gone down, but… it must have left you pretty disoriented.” She smiled softly as she added, “Well, you should know better than any of us. After all, you’re the doctor.”

            She was a doctor? What… That was strange. There was a part of her that thought that was wrong, but also a part of her that found it perfectly natural that she was a doctor, and she was torn between them.

            “I’m so proud of you, Alex.”

            Her eyes widened a little and immediately filled with tears. Why? Why did such a simple statement make her want to cry?

            Just then, Jeremiah and Kara walked into the room. He smiled at his daughter. “There you are! I knew you’d be okay.”

            In a stage whisper, Kara told her, “He was more worried than anyone!”

            He laughed and came closer, ruffling her hair like he used to do when she was a kid. She used to hate it when she started into adolescence, because she was ‘too old for that,’ and she was certainly too old for it now, but his presence felt so nostalgic and somehow relieving that she couldn’t bring herself to be opposed. “I might’ve been a little concerned.” He brought his hand back to his side. “How are you feeling?”

            It felt so strange to even consider being dishonest with her father that she answered only seconds later. “I don’t know. Everything is strange… Everything feels wrong, like it can’t be real.”

            “Well, fevers can do that to you.”

            Was it really just a fever? Every time she tried to think about it, it felt surreal and wrong. But… at the same time, as she started to wake up, it all felt so real. Like she was regaining her feet on the ground.

            “I bet I know who can help,” Kara said, her expression mischievous. “I texted you-know-who about your being up.”

            …No, she really didn’t know who. And that was another thing. This celebration? This promotion? Why didn’t she remember any of it? There were strange gaps, and she was pretty sure fevers didn’t cause that. “Hey, um… could you tell me more about my… job?” Even being a doctor… No, but there _were_ some memories of being a doctor. Of extracting something from a woman’s arm. Of treating a different woman’s minor burns. But why did it feel off, somehow?

            “You’re the _best_ doctor in the world,” Kara told her, that same honest grin Alex loved so much. “All your patients love you! Sometimes when I come meet you there, your boss – what’s his name… John Jones? – tells me about how everybody who’s, like, ever met you always requests you.”

           Her boss, John Jones… That felt right. Like something that was finally clicking as accurate. And sure enough, she could remember him. She could picture John, even with medical supplies in the background. That had to be right. She nodded. “And we’re celebrating…?”

            “Christmas, silly! And your promotion.” Kara said, gesturing out the window. “I mean, now it’s a couple of days after, but that’s okay. Obviously, we couldn’t do it without you.”

            She was so important to them. That feeling washed over her, bringing a smile to her lips. It felt unbelievable somehow, but at the same time, of _course_ it would be that way. How else would it be?

            The doorbell rang. Could that be… Kara-knew-who? “I’ll get it,” Alex said quickly, wanting to be the first to see. Wanting an opportunity to try to figure things out.

            “She’s so excited,” Kara giggled to their parents.

            Clearly, she was supposed to be pleased to see this mystery visitor. She took a breath before opening the door—

            “ _Maggie?_ ”

            Maggie grinned and kissed her. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

            As much as she loved the kiss, Alex nearly gaped at her. This was just… all sorts of strange, for some reason. “What are you doing?”

            “Kissing my girlfriend?” she smiled, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers.

            This felt so familiar – Maggie’s hand in hers like this. Was it true? It felt like nothing in the world could be so right, and yet she was sure that she remembered something else. Something different. She sighed. “Sorry. I guess the fever, it must’ve really gotten to me. I… I don’t even remember _having_ a fever.”

            “Well, you were out for most of it,” she pointed out. “I’m guessing the fever is gone now?”

            “Yeah. It’s just left me… like I said, really… disoriented.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I heard I held up the celebrations by days already. I shouldn’t hold it up anymore.”

            “Hey, it’s alright. It’s not like you could help getting sick. It’s okay to take your time.”

            Alex smiled. This understanding, it was nice. Everything since waking up felt so warm. And sure enough, the longer she was awake, the more she seemed to be getting her bearings. The more everything started to feel like it was sliding into place.

            “I love you,” Maggie said softly.

            The words slipped out automatically. “I love you, too.”

            “Aww,” Kara said from the background, making Alex blush.

            Eliza laughed softly at Kara’s intervention. “And how about when _your_ ‘you-know-who’ arrives?” she teased.

            Kara laughed. “Does this mean we’re celebrating today?”

            “Well… Alex, are you feeling up to it?”

            Alex smiled. She felt so… at home. “Yeah. If everyone else wants to.”

            Already getting her phone out, Kara cheered. “Alright, I’m gonna give her a call.”

            “I’ll heat the food up,” Eliza said, going to the kitchen.

            “Can I help?” Alex asked. She felt far too bad to just sit around and not help out when the whole matter was delayed because of her anyway.

            She smiled. “I appreciate that, but you just woke up. Don’t worry about it.”

            Maggie gave a small tug, bringing Alex toward the couch. Alex obliged, and the two of them sat down side-by-side.

            “Thanks again for having me over, Mr. Danvers,” Maggie said.

            “Of course. And, no need to be so formal – you can call me Jeremiah.” He smiled warmly. “I know how close you and Alex are. You’re family too, now.”

            She matched his smile. “Thanks. Means a lot to me.”

            Kara soon came back out from the kitchen. “Alright! She’ll be here soon.”

            _Huh?_ She turned to Maggie and murmured, “My memory is so fuzzy.”

            Maggie released her hand to put an arm around her. “You’ll get it figured out soon. What’cha trying to remember?”

            Embarrassment washed over her at not being able to remember something that should be so basic. She brushed hair away from Maggie’s ear, lowering her voice to whisper into it. “Who is she talking about?” It felt okay to admit it to Maggie. More comfortable – safer.

            Maggie whispered into Alex’s ear in return. “Probably her girlfriend, Cat.”

            Her mouth formed a silent, _Oh_. When had they gotten together? And close enough to want to spend Christmas together? But… she had known for a long time that there was something between them, so she wasn’t really surprised. In fact, she was really happy for Kara. She _knew_ that was why things didn’t work out between her and James – because deep down, she was really too deep in love with Cat to put it aside. “Thanks,” she said to Maggie, still processing a little.

           “Of course.” She rubbed Alex’s shoulder. “It’s gotta be tough, not being able to remember. But you’re tough, too. I know you’ll get your bearings.”

            She relaxed, resting her head on Maggie’s shoulder. How had she been so disbelieving earlier? Something still felt strange, but… how could she ever question this? –Because it was too perfect, maybe. But that wasn’t any reason it couldn’t be the truth. After all, Kara seemed so happy, too. Everyone seemed happy. Was that… realistic? It felt strange still, even as the security she felt leaning into Maggie enveloped her and felt too real and perfect to reject. She wanted so badly just to give into that—

            But she couldn’t. She shouldn’t. Something was wrong, and she knew it was wrong to just ignore it. Alex raised her head. “Sorry, I think I need to talk to Kara.”

            “Hey, I get it. Who better to help you remember stuff than your sister?”

            “Thanks.” She kissed Maggie’s cheek, embarrassed to be more affectionate than that two feet from her dad. With that, she stood. “Hey, Kara?” she called out.

            Kara was there without hesitation. “Yeah?”

            “Can we talk? Alone for a while?”

            “Yeah, of course.” She looked up and nodded toward their childhood bedroom, where Alex remembered sharing so many close discussions. They used to share everything; she remembered that vividly.

            The two of them went upstairs. Alex sat down on her old bed, and Kara sat next to her. “Still feeling weird?” Kara guessed.

            “Mmm,” she said, a sound of agreement. “It’s just—does everything really seem normal to you?”

            She nodded, then asked gently, “It doesn’t seem normal to you still?”

            Alex could see the concern in Kara’s eyes. How much her sister wanted to help. “Everything feels right, but wrong. Like everything is supposed to be something else.” This made no sense. Even to her own ears, it sounded completely ridiculous. Despite that, she let the words remain.

            “That must be confusing,” she murmured. “What else would things be?”

            She shook her head. “It must have been the dream, because… I can’t even remember anymore. Just _feelings_ , here and there. And it just feels strange, because…” This was something she felt she could admit only to her sister. “Would it be strange if I said that everything seems too perfect to be real?”

            “You’re happy,” she told her. “And I understand – I mean, even though you did great, I know med school was stressful sometimes. Not to mention dating is always hard at first.” Kara shrugged. “I understand, though. Sometimes I think back on getting together with Cat, and starting out as her assistant, and then _now_ … I never would’ve thought we could get to where we are. I’m so happy with her, and being in National City so close to you, that sometimes it doesn’t feel real to me, either.”

            She smiled, finally feeling somewhat better. “There’s just one more thing, and this is going to—well, either make a lot of sense or seem completely crazy.” She reached for Kara’s arm. “Can I do something?”

            “Uh… sure, I guess.”

            Lightly, she pinched Kara’s arm.

            “Hey, ow!” She yanked her arm back. “You’re supposed to pinch _yourself_ when you’re dreaming, not me!”

            “Sorry, I…” She frowned. Why had she expected it not to do anything? Why would it ever make sense that somebody wouldn’t be hurt by being pinched? Alex shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me. But I feel better now, so thank you.”

            Kara smiled, even as she still rubbed her arm a bit. “Well, I’m glad I was able to help, at least.” She gave a small laugh. “I mean, you’re always helping me so much. I’m glad when I can reciprocate some.”

            “You’re my little sister. Of course I’m going to help you,” she murmured. “You don’t have to reciprocate. But… I appreciate the thought.”

            They looked at each other for a couple of seconds, both smiling. The moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Kara got up quickly. “That must be Cat!”

            She rushed toward the stairs so quickly that Alex couldn’t help calling out, “Be careful not to fall!”

            “I won’t!” she called back, slowing down just enough so that she could ensure that was a true statement. After all, it would be pretty embarrassing if she fell flat on her face.

            The two of them were downstairs just in time to see Jeremiah open the door.

            A woman stepped in. She looked identical to Kara, but… with a bizarre costume. A blue shirt with an ‘S’ on it. A red cape. Red skirt. Tall red boots. Wasn’t it Christmas, not Halloween? More importantly—

            “Who are you?” Alex asked.


	2. Anything for You

            Alex was late, and Hank was getting worried. He checked his phone. The previous day, Kara had told him that Alex wasn’t feeling well and that was why she hadn’t come in, with no notice. But Alex should’ve been here over an hour ago and neither of them had contacted him. It was fine with him if she needed more time, but he wanted to make sure she was safe. Finally, Hank decided to give her a call.

            It rang… rang…

            …and rolled over to voicemail. He debated whether to leave a message, but decided it better to do so. “Alex? Where are you? Call me back when you get this.” He left it at that.

            Twenty minutes later, there was still no response. Not knowing what else to do, he was about to call Kara again when a woman who was definitely _not_ a DEO agent came in.

            “Hey,” Maggie said hesitantly, not even completely sure which of the people there was Alex’s boss. “Uh, can I talk to Alex?”

            He came closer, arms crossed. “What do you need?”

            She wondered whether she should tell him or not, but she really did want to talk to Alex. Not to mention check on her. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of her for a while now. She’s not answering my calls, so I thought maybe she’d be here.”

            Hank sighed. “That makes two of us. Not answering our calls.”

            She wasn’t really surprised that Alex hadn’t been answering her calls, but not answering calls from her job seemed unusual for her. Maggie put her hands on her hips, looking at him for an answer, because she had no idea how or where to check on her. Not that Alex probably wanted to see her right now, anyway, but they really did need to talk about this. For one, she needed to apologize for misinterpreting Alex’s asking her for a drink – assuming it had been as friends when Alex had clearly intended it to be more, and maybe she should have been more attentive to Alex’s feelings and picked up on that. She knew it wasn’t really anyone’s fault, but regardless, she wanted to try to mend things. It could be tough figuring yourself out, and it was all so new to Alex. It sounded like things were okay with her and Kara, and the way Alex talked about her, it seemed like Kara was generally a source of support for her… but it wasn’t the same as having a friend who’s been through it before.

            “Alright, I’m going to call backup.” He called Kara over his earpiece. “Supergirl? We need you here. As soon as possible.”

            Maggie couldn’t help but to wonder how Supergirl was going to find Alex, but after all, she did have superpowers. It wasn’t entirely surprising that she would have some way, she supposed, especially since they seemed to… work closely together. Or something.

            Supergirl flew in just moments later. “What’s going on?” She looked around for Alex, frowning when she didn’t see her, and looking even more confused when she saw Maggie. “Where’s Alex?”

            “That’s exactly what we’re wondering. She was supposed to be here almost an hour ago, but no one has heard from her and she’s not answering her phone.”

            Kara took a deep breath. “Okay- I… Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’ll…” She looked at Maggie, not willing to say that she was going to go to Alex’s apartment. Not only because she needed to keep her identity a secret, but particularly because right now, it was very hard not to hate Maggie’s guts after seeing how much pain Alex had been in after Maggie had apparently stomped on her heart. And yeah, she knew that wasn’t exactly how the conversation went, but that didn’t change her protective feelings.

            Thankfully, Hank got Supergirl’s drift. “That’s what I was thinking,” he said, of checking on her at home. “Let me know.”

            She nodded, flying away.

            Maggie wanted so badly to come with her, wherever she was going, but she knew it was impossible since she couldn’t fly. Luckily, the interaction had been brief enough that she didn’t catch Supergirl acting differently around her now, which would have been a dead giveaway that she knew Alex from some other circumstance than the DEO.

            Meanwhile, Kara was at Alex’s apartment moments later. She’d had to fly high up, because at the speed she went, she would have shattered the sound barrier and broken something again if she was too close to the city. Now, she landed on the balcony and let herself in, just like she had the previous night. She didn’t even bother with knocking this time, given that it was the second time in a row, and… well, Alex had seemed mostly okay when she left her that morning, so it was really weird that nobody had heard from her.

            She went into Alex’s apartment. The light was on… “Alex?” She listened intently for a response. There was the steady, familiar _thump-thump-thump_ of her heartbeat, and that was enough to calm her some, except… why was she here and not at work?

            Slowly, looking all around her for threats, she followed the source of the sound… until she found Alex on the floor. “Oh, Rao,” she whispered. Urgently, she turned on her earpiece. “Hank! I found her, but it’s—she’s—it’s Black Mercy! She’s breathing, but…!”

            “Okay. Stay calm. I’ll send over medics. Just don’t get too close and _don’t touch it_. We’ve been through this once. Nothing you do there is going to remove it.”

            “What if I pull it off, as long as I’m careful not to—”

            “ **No!** ” he interjected quickly. “If you did manage to pull it off, it’d kill her!”

            “So what do I do?!”

            “You wait. And keep your distance. We’ll figure it out at the DEO.” With that, he walked away to order the medical evac, just as they had done when Kara had fallen victim to the Black Mercy.

            Maggie’s heart was racing. She had only heard Hank’s side of the conversation, and she had absolutely no idea what could possibly be going on. She forced herself to wait until Hank did whatever he needed to do, because she didn’t want to slow him down from doing what was necessary to help Alex. As soon as he came back out to the main area and stood by the table, however, she went over to him. “What the hell is going on?”

            He wasn’t a fan of somebody taking that tone with him – the only one he allowed it from was Alex, really, and that was only because she was more like family to him than just another agent. Still, it was obvious that whoever this woman was and whatever her relation to Alex was, she was highly worried about her, and he could very much sympathize with that. “It’s complicated. Short version? Alien life form has attached itself to her, trapping her in hallucinations of her ‘perfect world.’”

            “So how do we get her out?” She put her hands on her hips, trying to keep a level head. Panicking wasn’t going to do Alex any good; she knew that.

            “She has to reject it herself. Strategy-wise, we’ll have to figure that out with Supergirl.”

            Maggie nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets and looking around. It was hard to stay calm when she felt like she still had no idea what was going on, and worse, Alex’s life was in danger. Hank hadn’t directly stated that the life form would kill her, but from their urgency, she guessed that it had to be time-sensitive in some way, and it was most likely that. That she could die if she wasn’t woken from it by a certain point.

            After what felt like an eternity, Alex was brought in on a stretcher. Maggie saw the creature on her chest. “Holy shit,” she cursed, hurrying to follow the stretcher. Whatever the plan was for saving Alex from this thing, she wanted in on it. Wherever she and Alex stood didn’t matter right now. All she could think about was saving her.

            They got Alex into the isolation room, all keeping their distance. Maggie didn’t know what would happen if she touched it, but if it would be bad news for even Supergirl, it went without saying that it would be bad news for her, too, and she wouldn’t be any use to Alex if something happened to her.

            Supergirl looked to Hank, barely even registering Maggie’s presence. Nothing else mattered but figuring out how to help Alex. “What do I do? What did Alex do, when I was—how did she get into my dream?”

            “By doing something _very dangerous and reckless_. That could’ve killed her.” He knew exactly where Kara was going with that, and he wasn’t sure whether he should endorse it or not. The risk was immense. On the one hand, it might be the only way to wake Alex. She was strong and perceptive, and she knew about the Black Mercy, but it had been over an hour now and she was still asleep. If she hadn’t woken by now, there was no telling whether she would wake by herself. But if something happened to Kara while trying to help her… he could lose _both_ of them. Nothing could be more painful for him than losing his pseudo-daughters.

            “I don’t care,” she said, exactly as he had expected. “Let me. She put her life on the line for me; now it’s my turn to do the same for her.”

            Maggie wondered what kind of relationship they had that they were willing to go to such lengths for each other, but that was beside the point right now. “Maybe I can help,” she suggested.

            And that was when Supergirl turned and glared at her. She bit her tongue, knowing that if it became clear that she knew what had happened, that would give away their relationship. But she wasn’t going to let Maggie break Alex’s heart a second time – especially not when she was going to be pulled out from the Black Mercy’s dream. “Actually, Detective, this is a rather personal matter and I think you should go.”

            “Look, Alex is my friend. And you’ve clearly said this is dangerous. I know I’m not DEO, but… there has to be something I can do.”

            “Absolutely not. I don’t have time to argue about this.” She looked to Hank, squaring her shoulders. “Tell me what I have to do.”

            He looked between them, noting that there was definitely something going on that he wasn’t aware of. “I’ll get the equipment. But Supergirl? Think about her offer. I’m sure you remember what it was like to wake up.”

            As he left, Kara turned to face Maggie, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up just a little, unconsciously making it so that she was further looking down. “What are your intentions with Alex?” When she remembered Alex sobbing into her for so long the previous night, she didn’t even want to look at Maggie, but she was trying to pretend she didn’t know what had happened.

            Maggie sighed. She wasn’t even sure if Alex was out to Supergirl or if she had only told her sister, so she needed to be careful not to out her. “She and I didn’t really leave things in too good a place when we last saw each other and I wanted to apologize and talk things out, if you’re wondering why I’m here. And like I said, Alex is my friend, so obviously if her life’s in danger and there’s anything I can do, I want to do that.”

            _Were you going to apologize for breaking her heart?_ Kara could feel herself softening, her ever-present faith in people still very much present. “What were you going to apologize for?” And yeah, maybe it was a little bit of a test to see whether Maggie would keep Alex’s secrets for her, but most importantly, she needed to know that Maggie regretted hurting her.

            She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to figure out the best way to answer that. “We had a misunderstanding. I didn’t realize what she meant by something for a while, and that led to some issues.”

            “And what do you hope will happen after you apologize?”

            What was this, an interrogation? No… Supergirl knew more than she was letting on. How much, Maggie wasn’t sure, but she had to know that Alex had been hurt by her. It was the only way to explain how suddenly overprotective she was acting. She decided to continue going along with it, because she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to be friends with Alex if Supergirl didn’t trust her. “I want to talk this out so we can be friends again.”

            Supergirl relaxed some. Maggie really seemed to be telling the truth, and… well, she couldn’t help thinking about herself and Winn, herself and James… She had hurt them without meaning to, and yet they were still, other than Alex, her closest friends. And when she had woken up from the Black Mercy, she had wanted – needed – them there. The thing was, though, that they hadn’t been the ones to hurt her, and they had already resolved things by the time she woke up. Would Alex want Maggie by her side as a friend, or would the heartbreak be too much still? In the end, she decided that Maggie obviously really did care, and the last thing anyone wanted was for Alex to wake up and feel alone. So finally, she explained. “I’ve been under this before. Waking up is like- It saves your life, and I know she’ll know that, but it’s like… You’ve had your perfect world, and it gets torn away from you, and reality? It hurts. I was devastated, and she probably will be too. She probably wouldn’t be very happy with me for telling you this, but she needs support.”

            Maggie nodded. “Anything I can do.”          

            Supergirl’s look asked, _Can I really trust you to take care of her?_ Or at least, that’s how Maggie took it.

            “I’ll be here for her. Don’t worry.”

            There was still uncertainty in her eyes, still trying to figure out what Alex would want her to do. But ultimately, this seemed like the best choice. Finally, she nodded. “I need you to do one other thing for me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m assuming that to go into her dream, I’ll have to go under. And as he said, it’s dangerous. But she didn’t give up on me, and I’m not going to give up on her. I want you to promise me something. Promise me that no matter how things look for me, you won’t let Hank wake me up while Alex is still under the Black Mercy’s influence. I believe in her – that I can bring her back.”

            She looked into Supergirl’s eyes, searching for any sign of hesitance, but found none. The other woman was doing something clearly reckless, but she was doing it knowing the risks, and Maggie could see how strongly she felt about it. “Okay. I’ll make sure.”

            “Thank you.”

            Maggie looked around, wondering about something. Better to speak her mind, she thought. “Uh, I know the DEO is supposed to be top secret and all that, but… You probably know, her and her sister are really close. I think she’d want her there when she wakes up.”

            “Uh.” She faltered. “Uh- Kara- is… away? Too far away. To come.” She nodded stiffly.

            She regarded her, well aware there was something Supergirl wasn’t telling her. But having never even seen a picture of Kara, the idea that they could be one and the same somehow seemed too impossible. “Right. That’s too bad. I guess Alex can call her when she wakes up.”

            “Different timezone,” Kara lied. “And she’s a really heavy sleeper.”

            Thankfully, before she could dig herself deeper into that hole, Hank returned, bringing the helmet with him. “So, you’ll wear this, and when we turn it on, you’ll go under. Your consciousness will merge with hers. You already know the gist of it.”

            She nodded, climbing up onto the other bed. “Yeah. Just do me a favor and don’t—do what you did last time for me,” she said, half joking as she remembered the disaster that had been Hank attempting to cover for her at work. “And get Winn to figure out who sent it. But you stay here. She’ll need you, too.”

            He nodded in response. “I’ll be here. Stay safe, Supergirl.”

            “I’ll bring her back. No matter what it takes.” She put the helmet on and closed her eyes.

            “Are you ready?”

            “Ready.”

            Moments passed, and suddenly Kara felt like the world turned upside down, spun, blurred… Soon, she was on the grass outside. She tried to stand, although she felt dizzy. She took some breaths, trying to keep her balance. Her legs felt like they might give out under the vertigo, but she waited it out until her vision cleared and she felt normal again. Then, she looked around. It didn’t take long for her gaze to settle on a familiar house.

            This was Midvale. Alex was… home.

            Kara went up to the door, took a deep breath, and rang the bell. She steeled herself, having no idea what to expect on the other side.

            Soon after, a familiar face answered – Jeremiah. It was no surprise that he would be there and well in Alex’s perfect world, though she had to fight back her own happiness at seeing him again. Ultimately, this Jeremiah wasn’t real.

            Without giving him the chance to block her, she stepped inside, looking around the living room to get an idea of the situation. She heard someone in the kitchen, and a strong suspicion told her it was probably Eliza. It smelled like Eliza’s cooking. Maggie was there, which was… odd and yet unsurprising… but she hoped that meant she had made the right choice in asking Maggie to stay.

            Then, her own self emerged from the stairs, followed by Alex. She could only look at herself in surprise – this Kara looked identical to her, or at least, when she wasn’t dressed as Supergirl. That Kara wasn’t wearing any glasses, but then again, she rarely did when she was home.

            Alex looked at her in shock. “Who are you?”


	3. Shatter

            Supergirl took a deep breath. She should have expected this, really. She was an outsider to the world of the dream – an unknown factor that the Black Mercy couldn’t control, not to mention confusing for Alex. Especially since she probably appeared to be a clone or something to the woman right beside Alex. Secretly, it was a little bit of a relief to her to see that she was indeed present in Alex’s perfect world, but right now she needed to focus on figuring out how to get through to her. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. After all, she hadn’t had any idea what kind of world she was going to find herself in…

            “I’m—Kara. Your sister.”

            Alex put a hand on the dream Kara’s arm. “You’re not.”

            “Ask me anything.”

            She glared at the intruder. “I’m not going to play games with you. Get out.”

            Supergirl thought for a moment before deciding it best to try being honest. “Alex, do you remember the Black Mercy?”

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Of course it had erased her memory of itself first. Doing otherwise would have made it far too easy for her to shatter the dream.

            “It’s—It’s a plant. Sort of. It’s an alien plant, and it’s got you trapped here. I know how real it feels, and I know you want to stay, but if you don’t break free, it’s going to kill you. And I’m not leaving without you.” Somehow, Alex had sounded so much more convincing than she did in that moment. The words seemed weak to her ears.

            “An _alien_?” Alex scoffed. She glanced around the room, confirming that everybody else saw the intruder and thought she was just as bizarre as Alex herself thought her to be. Sure enough, everybody’s expressions matched hers pretty closely, varying degrees of confusion and displeasure.

            Maggie came over to Alex, standing next to her as though to shield her some. None of them had any idea what was going on with this bizarre woman, or why she had come to their house spouting nonsense, or why she looked identical to Kara and claimed to have the same name. It was too strange, and reminded Alex strangely of what she had been feeling earlier. Just the sense that something was off. After all, if everything was normal and the way it was supposed to be, didn’t this seem like too bizarre a coincidence? She remembered upstairs, pinching Kara, expecting… she didn’t _know_ what.

            From Alex’s reaction, Supergirl’s heart sunk. Aliens didn’t exist in this world. She glanced sadly at the version of herself, who would probably have to be human, then. Supergirl took a step forward, trying to think of a story that wouldn’t have changed. The problem was, the most memorable stories from their adult lives were certain to be unreliable, and the most memorable stories from their adolescence were still influenced to varying degrees by her being an alien. If she wasn’t an alien, and who knew what the story was behind Alex’s adult life in this reality (or hers, for that matter), then she had no idea what could have changed. She looked around the house, seeing the pictures by the stairs. Finally, she pointed to one of herself and Alex at the beach.

            “Do you remember that day? You taught me how to swim. It wasn’t the first time we went to the beach, but you were swimming and asked me to join. When I told you I couldn’t swim—”

            “Enough,” Jeremiah said firmly. Of course the dream needed to interrupt her. If she kept going, at this rate she could convince Alex, and that went against the Black Mercy’s goal. “I don’t know who you are or what you want with my family, but I think you should go.”

            Just then, another person came in the door – not bothering to ring the doorbell, just trying it and finding it unlocked. Cat walked in, then looked around. Her eyes settled on Supergirl, then on Kara standing next to Alex. “Kara?”

            Both women reacted to their name.

            There was no question which one was her Kara, though. Obviously, it was the one standing next to Alex… not the one dressed like she was going to the world’s worst costume party. Was this her interpretation of the ugly holiday sweater fad? It was past time for that anyway. Cat went to Kara. “You never told me you had a twin.”

            “I don’t.”

            “Then who is she?”

            Alex shook her head. “Somebody who needs to leave.”

            “Alex!” Supergirl cried out, not knowing how to get through to her. “Do you remember that story I was telling you? About when you taught me to swim?”

            “I—Whether I do or not, that doesn’t matter. You need to go.”

            “But if I wasn’t Kara, how could I know that? Look, I’ll—” She looked at the other pictures for one she was sure she would recognize and wasn’t too strongly tied to her being an alien. “How about this one? I remember it was your first high school dance – I didn’t get to go until the next year – and you were so excited. You went with Brad, and—”

            The ground trembled. The photos on the wall fell and shattered. Cat and Alex pulled Kara away, and Kara and Maggie pulled Alex away; it was a miracle they didn’t end up all falling, but somehow all four stayed upright and avoided getting hurt on the glass.

            “If you don’t go, I’m going to have to call the police,” Jeremiah said.

            It wasn’t like the police could do anything to her. If aliens didn’t exist in this world, then neither did Kryptonite, or anything else that could harm her. “I’m not leaving. Alex, listen to me, please. You remember those things, right? Do you—remember…” What was another strong memory, but maybe pushing more? “Do you remember when I was scared of the popcorn maker?” This one was only because she was an alien. If she could make a trail, maybe…

            In Supergirl’s own dream of Krypton, it was the gut-wrenching emotion from Alex and the reminder that she was a hero, needed on Earth, with friends, which brought her back. She hoped that if she reminded Alex of her work at the DEO, it would trigger her to choose the real world over this one. Or at the very least, it seemed that Alex began to push when she began to question the world’s validity. Maybe just getting her to see that this world wasn’t real would be enough.

            “You’re not her,” Alex insisted, pointing to Kara. “Kara is right next to me. Whatever you’re trying to pull, you can give it up.”

            Supergirl’s eye was caught by the way that Kara and Cat joined hands. Fingers intertwined. She couldn’t help the confusion that crossed her features. That was a… strangely intimate gesture, somehow. What was Cat even doing there, actually? That didn’t matter right now, though, nor did how much she still missed Cat. Not when Alex’s life was in danger.

            “Alex, I know you remember something! Do you remember how I hid under the table? How you crawled under it with me?”

            Alex ran her tongue over her lips. “Even if I do, what are you trying to prove?”

            “Why was I scared?” Maybe it was better to ignore Alex’s protests for now. She couldn’t tell whether this was a confirmation or denial, but Alex _seemed_ to be remembering.

            “I-I…” She struggled. Flashes of it were in her memory – her and Kara, teenagers, and yet Kara was terrified and she joined her under the table.

            “You showed me the butter, and the salt… that it was okay… Alex, I’ve always counted on you,” she confessed. Alex needed to know how much she was needed in the real world, or she would never have reason to wake up from this dream.

            Alex looked to the Kara next to her, seeming confused, conflicted. The ground shook hard. Maggie reached to steady Alex, and Kara reached out to Cat for balance.

            Eliza finally came out from the kitchen. “What is going on out here?” She looked at Supergirl. “Who is _this_?”

            Jeremiah answered, “This girl has showed up and been spouting lies.”

            “Alex, you don’t need to listen to her.” Eliza approached and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “We love you and support you. Whatever she’s trying to confuse you with… she’s just trying to hurt you. We won’t let her.”

            Supergirl forced more words out. It felt like every second that ticked by could make it harder and harder as Alex was swallowed further into the illusion; all she could do was try to put anything out there that could get through to Alex. Try to figure out what was most desirable to her here and appeal to that. “Do you remember Hank – J’onn?”

            “John is my boss at work… as a doctor…” She sounded dazed as uncertainty was washing over her again.

            Maggie held her hand. “Hey. Don’t let her confuse you.”

            “Alex, he needs you—I need you—Maggie needs you— _Earth_ needs you!”

            The ground was shaking hard again. Things were falling off shelves, though strangely nothing else sounded like it broke. Maggie moved so that she and Alex were face-to-face, looking into her eyes, distracting her from Supergirl. “Alex, _we_ need you.”

            “Who are you going to believe, Sweetie?” Eliza asked her. “Us, or this strange girl who burst in and is pretending to be your sister somehow – who’s right here?”

            She took a breath. Everybody was trying to pull her here, but deep in her, she felt it. She had felt it all along, here. This wasn’t right. Alex went to Supergirl, took her hand, and pinched her palm. There was no response to what should have been the sharp pain. Just like she had expected of Kara. She gave several small nods as she pulled away, fighting tears.

            Alex turned back toward the family here. “I knew… this was too good to be true…” she said with a forced, shaky laugh. It sounded painful. She went to the Kara her dream had created. “I know you need me. But you’re… not real. My sister… my _alien_ sister… needs me.” A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked over her shoulder at Supergirl. She looked at her parents. At Maggie. “I love you,” was all she felt she could manage without breaking down unnecessarily.

            “Alex, wait—” Eliza called out, reaching for her.

            She sensed that it might not be a good idea to allow that, so she dodged, running to Supergirl and taking her hand. That was the right thing to do, right? What needed to be done? –Why wasn’t anything happening?

            “Alex, this isn’t enough. You have to reject it! You have to reject this world.” She moved her hand so she could put her hands on Alex’s shoulders. “I know it’s hard. I know this is… everything you’ve ever wanted… but it isn’t real. And we need you, in the real world. I came here because I need you, and you’ve got friends waiting for you when you wake up. Just as scared as I am. –More scared, because all they can do is wait. We need you, Alex, so please…”

            “It’s not real,” she repeated. “I know that—why can’t I reject it?” More tears fell as she struggled against her conflicting desires. How she wished this reality could be the truth.

            “This is your perfect world. What it shows you. And I understand; of course you want to stay here. But if you do—Alex, if you try to stay here, we’ll both die!”

            Alex took a deep breath to steady herself and looked into Supergirl’s eyes, remembering her words. ‘ _I need you_ ,’ she had said. And she needed her sister, too. Not… an illusion of her sister. Not a family of illusions who pretended to love her because they were figments of her own mind. She needed her real sister.

            The next thing Kara knew, she was waking up. She sat up immediately and looked at Alex, who was still unconscious, the Black Mercy still resting on her chest.

            “Easy,” Hank said, remembering how Alex had reacted when their roles had been reversed. “She might be coming to. Give it a minute.”


	4. Stand by Me

            Kara bit her lip. Just waiting was not easy in this situation, but she watched, searching for any signs of change in Alex.

            Soon, the Black Mercy slithered off, and Hank gave orders to someone to safely remove it. Alex sat up quickly, looking around the room. Her eyes settled on Kara, then Hank, then Maggie. She couldn’t even begin to process that third face, so she decided to skip over anything else entirely. “Thanks for waiting. So, do we have an ID on who sent that thing? Motives?” Whether anybody else was in danger?

            “Hey,” Maggie said gently, remembering what Supergirl had said Alex would be going through in waking up and seeing that Alex was quick to brush it off in favor of getting back to work. A conversation needed to be had between them, but Alex had to already know she genuinely cared, right? “First things first, how are you feeling?”

            She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “I—This needs to come first. Figuring it out.”

            Maggie frowned. “I get that that’s important too, but…”

            “Hank? Anything?” Alex was ignoring Maggie. She couldn’t focus on it, or it seemed like the emotions would overwhelm her.

            “We’re still working on it,” he admitted. “Or rather, Mr. Schott is. I think – Detective Sawyer, was it? – is right. For now, take some time for yourself.”

            She shook her head in several small motions. She didn’t know how to express her resistance – just that it felt like too much.

            Kara sat down next to her on the bed. “It’s okay. We’ve got you.” She offered a smile as she said what Alex had told her so many times when she had been scared or hurt.

            A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “Thank you. For believing in me. For saving me.” Even as she said that, though, her arms wrapped lightly around her body. There had been so many people so close to her, and now… she felt so alone. Kara was here, but she had so many other things and people to think about. Hank was here, but ultimately he was supposed to be her boss, and anyway, in Alex’s mind he was sure to prioritize the DEO’s ‘real hero.’ Maggie was here, but… Maggie had made her feelings clear. Although it wasn’t at all what Maggie had said or meant, Alex’s mind couldn’t help taking it as a statement that she wasn’t good enough for her, and that of course that was the case. Why did she ever expect otherwise? She kicked herself for it, and the heartbreak came washing over her again, piling on top of the isolation she already felt. “Maggie, why are you here?” She closed her eyes, her voice just sounding tired. It felt like her heart was shattered twice over, and she didn’t know how to take Maggie’s presence.

            “I came to apologize,” she said, shifting awkwardly. She looked to Hank and Supergirl.

            Hank sensed it to be a private conversation, and ultimately, Kara was probably the one who could best comfort Alex. “I’m going to assist in helping them identify where the Black Mercy came from. Alex, take as much time as you need. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

            She smiled a little, knowing there was more affection behind his words than it sounded like. “Thank you, Sir.”

            As he left, Kara looked between Alex and Maggie. Knowing what they needed to talk about, she asked, “Do you want me to give you some space?”

            Alex’s hand immediately reached for Kara’s, grasping it tightly. The look in her eyes was clear: _Please don’t leave me_.

            “Okay. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” She gave Alex’s hand a small squeeze.

            It was exactly that kind of behavior that had led Maggie to think that being affectionate like she had been was just normal for Alex. After all, it was how she acted with her best friend (so she assumed), Supergirl. The reasons why hardly mattered at this point, though. “Is it… okay to talk now?” she asked, her gaze drifting toward Supergirl.

            Alex nodded. “Yeah. She… She knows.”

            Why exactly Supergirl knew was something she was still curious about, but now wasn’t the time for trying to unravel that mystery. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize where you were going with your invitation. I saw the way you two are and figured you were just sort of affectionate and stuff with all your friends. I didn’t mean to hurt you by letting it go misunderstood for so long.”

            She looked to Kara. It made some sense, she supposed. Normally, she wouldn’t be as affectionate with anybody else as she was with Kara, which was of course natural given that Kara was her sister, but Maggie had no way of knowing that Kara was Supergirl. “I-I think I’m the one who should be apologizing. I mean, I…” She faltered, humiliation burning in her chest as she remembered kissing her.

            “You don’t have to say it,” Maggie assured her, seeing her struggle. “And, well, I don’t blame you. I’m guessing you thought I knew you meant things that way, so I can’t blame you for misunderstanding. But I know what you’re going through, and I don’t want you to have to feel like you’re going through it alone. I mean, I know you have your sister, but I’ve been there before – where you are. And… any of that aside, it’d be a real shame to lose your friendship, Danvers.” She offered a smile, trying to look more self-assured than she felt in that moment.

            Alex looked up at the ceiling as tears filled her eyes. It would be really hard to stay friends with Maggie, who she had… such strong feelings for. It was too much to say ‘loved,’ she knew, but god, she felt in love. But right now, she mostly just felt so alone, and she just wanted to cling to the connections she did have. “Okay. I’ll- I’ll try.”

            Maggie gave the best smile she could before frowning as she said, “Sorry to dump all that on you when you just woke up. Especially… from that. Supergirl told me how it’d feel. I just—I couldn’t leave you when it sounds like you were fighting for you life, and especially… knowing waking up was gonna be tough, I wanted you to know that you’ve got me.”

            She took a deep breath, though it was shaky. She didn’t really want to cry in front of Maggie. “Well, thank you. Um, by the way—Supergirl,” she started, cutting herself off as she very nearly called her Kara, “I just wanted to say, about… the you in my dream…”

            That she was a human. That aliens didn’t even exist. She would be lying if she tried to pretend it didn’t sting a little, but… she understood it. If she were human, things would be so much easier for Alex. “Don’t worry about it. I get it.”

            The sadness in her eyes told Alex that she didn’t, or… No. Maybe she did, and that was what really tore her up inside. Maybe Kara was right about her feelings. Not entirely, but… that some part of her thought they would be happier if there were no aliens to worry about. Even so, “I love you the way that you are. Please don’t doubt that, –Supergirl. I think I just wanted a world where I always knew that we were all safe.” There was more to it, and she knew it, but she tried to force those envious feelings deep down again.

            Kara smiled, then, seeming mostly reassured. “That doesn’t surprise me, somehow.” She paused, then gave Alex’s hand another careful squeeze. “You never did answer the question. How you’re feeling.”

            Alex closed her eyes, as though she could actually will her tears away. When she opened them, she felt at least slightly more in control of her feelings. “I’m fine.”

            “You’re lying.” Her voice was gentle while at the same time leaving no room for doubt. She had let Alex go through a lot of things on her own, maybe, it seemed… but this wasn’t going to be one of them.

            “Whatever. I don’t want to talk about it.”

            “Fine.” Releasing Alex’s hand, she drew her into a tight hug. “But I’m hugging you whether you like it or not.” The last part was mostly in jest, because she knew Alex was never one to turn down hugs, especially when she was upset. She rarely asked for them, but it was obvious in how readily she accepted when they were offered.

            A shaky laugh, wet with tears. “I guess I have no choice, then,” she said, leaning into her.

            Maggie felt like they had forgotten her presence, and she felt a little awkward watching what seemed like a private moment, but she knew Alex would only misunderstand and be hurt if she left, so she stayed put.

            Alex hadn’t forgotten that Maggie was there, though, and it was the reason she tried to hold it together as best she could. Tried not to dwell on the loneliness that had torn open like a hole in her heart when she woke up from the dream. There were tears and some sniffles, but it wasn’t long before she stopped, forcing herself to regain her composure. She was already embarrassed to face Maggie as it was, especially now, and she didn’t want to make it any worse. When she had collected herself, she pulled away from Kara, looking at Maggie.

            “What can I do?” Maggie asked, her gaze catching Alex’s.

            She shook her head. “Thank you for being here for me. But you don’t need to stay if you don’t want to.”

            What part of that said she didn’t want to stay? Something in Alex’s eyes told her that this wasn’t an indication of Alex not wanting her to stay, either. “I want to be here for you. I just wanted to know if there was anything else I could do to help.”

            There was only one thing she could think of, and that was for them to stay with her a while. She didn’t want to speak the words, though; they left her too vulnerable. “You don’t need to do anything.” Leaning into Kara again, she hesitantly reached out for Maggie’s hand.

            Maggie accepted it. She didn’t intertwine their fingers this time – didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. She just held it, in the same way Supergirl held Alex’s hand earlier. She wondered what Alex was feeling… what she had lost in waking up. Alex had been clear that she didn’t want to talk about it, though, and it seemed better to respect that and not pry.

After a while, Alex pulled away from both of them, standing up. “Thank you. Both of you.”

            “Yeah, no problem,” Maggie said.

            At the exact same time, Kara told her, “Of course.”

            She smiled. Her heart ached a little less at the difference between the dream and her real life. It wasn’t the same, with everybody happy and safe, everybody praising her… but this was the real world, and she would choose her real relationships over those any day. It was a reminder of what she didn’t have, but… she didn’t have nothing. She tried to let that be enough for her.

            “Tonight, you’re coming over and we’re having potstickers and ice cream,” Kara informed her.

            Alex couldn’t help her amusement.  “Duly noted. And they’re on you.”

            She made a point of giving an exaggerated huff. “ _Fine_.” Still, she came over, serious again for a bit. “If you need _anything_ …”

            “I’ll call for backup. Thank you.” They shared a quick hug.

            Deciding that maybe Alex could use a couple of minutes alone with Maggie, Kara decided to be the first to leave. Sure enough, the two of them lingered. A few seconds went by without either speaking, until Alex turned to face her. “Thank you for being here. I know I… made things awkward misreading things.” Her head was ducked, as that didn’t even begin to cover the humiliation she still felt when she thought about it. Not to mention the heartbreak that she knew would linger.

            “Hey, it’s fine. We both misread things. You got excited. I’m cool if you are.”

            She offered a hesitant smile. “Maybe we can get that drink together sometime, as friends?”

            Maggie smiled back. “I’d like that. But I get it if you need some time first. I know how it is to get turned down; I get that those feelings don’t just disappear overnight.”

            She gave a couple of small nods, relieved that Maggie understood. Honestly, wanting to salvage their friendship, she probably wouldn’t have said anything. Maggie was exactly right, though. “Yeah. I, um… Maybe… give me a week to sort things out? Unless something comes up. If you need backup for something – I know you’re not really used to dealing with aliens in the capacity the DEO does, let alone what’s been going on now – seriously, call me.”

            “Alright.” She smiled, then hesitated. It was probably better to let Alex know that she had figured it out: “Have fun with Kara later.”

            Alex looked at her in surprise for only a moment before remembering her words from around when they met – _‘I’m a detective; I detect’_ – and realizing that her closeness to Kara and to Supergirl must have been obvious. And here she thought Kara was the one bad at keeping that secret. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to be wholly upset about it. Not with how much she had needed Kara – needed all three of them there for her when she’d first woken up. She met Maggie’s eyes. “I trust you to keep that a secret. The DEO knows; Hank knows. Other than that… I’m sure you can imagine why we try to keep it a secret.”

            “Yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it to myself.”

            “Thank you. So, I’ll… call you in a week or something.”

            It felt too soon to hug, because she didn’t want to make Alex uncomfortable. For now, she just put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Yeah. Take care of yourself, okay?”

            She smiled, the words meaning more to her than Maggie could possibly know. “You, too.”


End file.
